Improvement in planking-clamps



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

JOSEPH MAGOITER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN PLANKING-CLAMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,941, dated November 14, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH MAooT'rER, of Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have iu- Vented a certain new and useful improved clamp-screw l'or planking the bottoms of vessels when they are sealed up; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference thereon marked.

To enable others to make and use myinvention,Iwill describeits construction and operation.

In the drawings, Figure lis a front elevation. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan view.

The nature of my invention consists in constructing` clampscrews for bending or holding t the planking of a ship in position to be nailed or bolted to the frame in such a manner that the adjustable hooks-shall be hooked upon the frame-timbers and the screw be applied to the plank to be bent or held.

The usual practice in sea-ling7 a vessel is to use a. common jack; but when this is done it is necessary to construct extensive and peculiar scatolding for thejack to act upon, and the accidents which occur from the slipping consequent upon such an ineffective mode frequently result in broken limbs to the workmen.

In the drawings, C represents a strong wrought-iron knee, provided with a socket, a, at one end for the reception ot' the screw D, which is provided with a handle, b, to turn the screw. The other end of the knee G is rmly Xed at right angles to the wrought-iron crossbar A,which should be from eighteen to forty inches long. The barAis rectangular in section, so as to allow the hooks B B,which have rectangular mortises, to slide upon it Without turning.

B B are two strong wrought-iron hooks sliding upon bar A, a-nd retained at the desired point by the pins c. These hooks areintended to catch upon or between the frame-timbers, while the point of the screw is made to bear upon the plank, so as to force it into position to be nailed. The hooks can be so arranged upon the bar as to have their points outward when designed to be used between two timbers.

My invention. although more especially designed to be used for sealing up vessels, may also be used for planking the bulwurks and for various other purposes.

By the use of my improved clamp-screw I am enabled to work with much greater cheapness and safety.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a clamp forplanking vessels,the arrange ment of the strain-bar A, hooks B B, knee O, and screw D,When constructed and operating substantially as described.

JOSEPH MAOOTTER.

Witnesses:

J oHN BEARD, P. T. WILsoN. 

